Posts Tagged With: hope

Henry Blackaby said “Waiting is one of the hardest yet most important things we will ever do as Christians.”

I, personally, think that’s an understatement.

Think to yourself about how much time you spend waiting…

Waiting for the traffic light to turn green…

Waiting for the microwave to beep so you can enjoy those delicious leftovers…

Waiting to meet that special someone…

Waiting for that promotion at work…

Waiting for that phone call from the doctor…

Waiting for answers from God…

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Dr. Blackaby is ever-so-correct… Waiting IS extremely hard, yet very, very important… Which is why my heart landed on the following verse as today’s “Hidden Ah-Ha” Bible Verse:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” ~Psalm 27:14 NIV

The Message version says it like this: “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God.”

Awesome words. One of my favs, actually. Because I’m not gonna lie… I kinda stink at waiting and this verse has personally carried me through A LOT.

In our seasons of waiting, no matter how long or short or big or small, we are forced to draw near to God. Because oftentimes, He is the only one that is in control of anything. He is our Sustainer. Our Comforter. Our Guide. Our Companion. The One we can trust to get us through until the storm passes, an answer comes or the moment we have been anticipating arrives.

As I was praying about this verse, my dear friend Sara came to mind. See, like me, Sara is an army wife. We joke that army life is sometimes a big game of “Hurry up and wait.” And recently, she had been waiting months (specifically: nine) for her beloved husband Glen to return from Afghanistan.

The time for his return was rapidly approaching. Finally, instead of months, weeks or even days, they were down to hours.

But then, his flight got delayed.

UG. More waiting. Talk about an emotional roller coaster. I could identify with my sweet friend, because the same thing happened when my Beloved returned home from deployment… And back then, those extra 24 or so hours seemed like the end of the world.

But faithful Sara continued to wait… and… wait… AND WAIT. I was following Glen’s return to the States (or lack thereof) on Facebook. One morning, I posted this verse, “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God” on Sara’s wall because I was getting impatient and I was only a spectating cheerleader!! (At one point of this long waiting process, I started to wonder if the army was building a new plane from the ground up or something. It was taking FOR-EV-ERRRR. But I digress.)

Then finally… FINALLY, after EIGHT (yes EIGHT) additional days of waiting, Sara and Glen were reunited.

Praise. The. Lord! I thought my heart was going to explode for them.

But just as most things in our live, the waiting wasn’t fun. It wasn’t pleasant. But with God at the helm, it was (clearly) worth it.

So dear friends, regardless of WHAT you are waiting on today, be it a long anticipated answer from the Lord, some direction on which path to take, or you are waiting to see the other side of a storm, remember that God is right there with you in the midst of it all. Waiting draws you near to Him– and in all honesty, where else would we rather be?

So stay with God. Take heart. Don’t quit. Yep, I will say it again…

STAY. WITH. GOD.

Waiting with Expectation,
SGK

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” ~Psalm 5:3 NIV

It’s Friday. (In case you missed the memo.) And over here at 7 Days Time, Fridays only mean one thing: It’s time to link up with Lisa-Jo Baker and join in to the Five Minute Friday flash mob writing party.

Here’s the skinny: Lisa-Jo gives us a prompt. Then we write. For five minutes.

That’s it. Simple enough, yes?

So, let’s get going.

Today’s prompt: LAST

AND GO!

***

I was feeling brave. My heart was pounding. I slowly pulled the door open and gingerly stretched out my arm. I reached… Grabbed… Sighed.

I was cleaning out the refrigerator. A tupperware container that had been pushed to the back was now the beginnings of an unplanned science experiment. The broccoli in the bottom of the drawer had started to… um, what’s the word… Melt? (Gross.) I checked the date on the milk. Past its due date– and unfortunately, the smell test confirmed that truth.

Ug. Those things weren’t made to last long.

How many things in this world seem to have a very short shelf life? It’s not just those scary refrigerator contents. I log into my bank account. Well, crap. That paycheck didn’t last long. I peer out the window, rejoicing for the much-needed rain for my pathetic, crispy brown lawn… but in a few moments, the clouds break up and the sun comes out. That storm wasn’t made to last either.

Now, I don’t write this to be all waa-waa-pessimistic Debbie Downer. Quite the opposite in fact. Things of this world don’t last long… Why? Because we have eternity to look forward to!

When you factor in heaven, even our lives on this earth aren’t made to last. It says in James 4:14~ “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” At first glance, it sounds a bit depressing… But seriously, folks. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A FUTURE–no, scratch that– AN ETERNITYIN HEAVEN! (And yes, I’m typing in caps because I’m yelling this.)

Heaven. What a beautiful EVER-LASTING promise. Joy we can’t even fathom. No pain, no sorrow… And meeting Jesus face-to-face. We weren’t made to last on this earth… and thankfully, before we know it, Tomorrow will be here…

So what are you going to do about it… Today?

STOP!

***

Have you thought about heaven lately? Are your eyes focus on Today or Tomorrow? How do you feel about the idea that we weren’t made to last here on this earth? (Sidenote: I am SO relieved about this truth.) Chime in and leave a comment below.

And as always, thanks a bajillion for stopping by. You bless me!

Here Today, Heaven Tomorrow, SGK

I heard a voice out of Heaven, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they’ve done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end.” ~Revelation 14:13 MSG

Like this:

After several weeks of sketchy hotel internet, it appears that my on-the-spot Five Minute Friday writing dealio might just work. (But just to make sure, I am throwing out a few prayers. Lil’ help here, J-man.)

Let’s give it a shot.

Quick Five Minute Friday (FMF) background in case you missed the memo. Each week I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker (whose blog/internet is ALSO on the fritz today,) she gives us a prompt and we write– for five minutes.

Simple as that.

And today’s word (no surprise here…)

BROKEN

And go!

****

It’s that twinge of hurt you feel in your heart when walk past someone who has wronged you. It’s that inability to let go and forgive after an experience that hurt you. It’s the challenge of not thinking a judgmental thought. It’s even the struggle with giving yourself grace after you snapped at your kid when they refused to nap.

Yep. We are a broken people.

God NEVER intended our world to be like this. Sure, we can blame Adam and Eve for jacking this up (believe me, I try to do that ALL the time) but let’s be honest…. Satan is a crafty devil (pun intended) and we would have messed it up sooner or later. (My guess is sooner.)

But this isn’t a Debbie Downer post. It’s a post of hope.

Because although God never wanted us to feel the hurt and sadness of being broken, He still loves us… and has an incredible plan to get us all fixed up.

It’s not super glue. It’s not a magic wand. It’s Jesus. The One. The Only. The Savior of the World.

They always say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, I AM broke, and need to be fixed up.

I need Jesus. Every day. Every minute. Every moment.

He is my remedy. He fixes me up and puts me back together every time I invite him to… So my challenge for you, today, dear reader, is to look into your heart and ask yourself if you are broken.

Then, ask Him to get you fixed up.

STOP!

****

Thanks for stopping by, my friends… Praying for all of my readers and followers today– if you have areas of brokenness in your life, we have One who can fix us up… (And please let me know if I can help in any way via prayer, coaching or encouragement!)

Much love to you all.

Whole in Christ,
SGK

“All the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.” ~ Colossians 1:20 MSG

Like this:

I am smack dab in the middle of learning what it means to be a new Mama while moving across the country. No big deal, right? (It is an adventure, that is for sure!) So today as I considered what bloggy ministry message God wanted me to share, He put this one on my heart. (Actually, He put the song on Pandora which made me think of this post written a little while ago…)

As my Beloved Brandon and I make new memories with our little one as we seek out our new home with the army, I couldn’t help but get all gushy thinking about my parents. This post recalls one of my favorite childhood memories with my dad… and my heavenly Father.

Where do you go to meet with the Father? I would love to hear all about it. Feel free to comment below!

Praying today is full of Him!SGK

****

Growing up in northwest Kansas as the daughter in a farming/ranching family provided me with many chances to “get away.” Ok, let’s be honest– we were 90 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. We were always “away,” so actually going somewhere aka civilization was a big deal.

Anyway, Dad worked a lot of hours taking care of the cattle and crops, but some of the most precious memories I have of my youth were those moments when I would climb onto the bathroom sink, lather up my face and pretend to “shave” my face with my finger as he did the same in the mirror. We would sing as we “shaved,” and to this day the song “In the Garden” takes me “away” and back to solidarity on the farm… and now to solidarity with God.

The song “In the Garden” fondly reminds me of my youthful days on the farm and also of my relationship with God. It brings back around the importance of spending time with Him daily, reflecting in his glory and love for us.

Jesus deeply desires to spend time with us, love on us, romance us. Are you giving Him that opportunity? Where is your garden? Is it literally a garden? Maybe someplace else in nature? Perhaps at your kitchen table before the rest of the family awakens? It might even be at the bathroom sink, staring into the mirror, talking to God and thanking him for the memories of the past and the promises of the future.

Spend some time to go your “garden” with Him today. None other will ever know the joy you experience with Him as you walk, talk, and tarry there.

Walking in the Garden,
SGK

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

Like this:

I personally believe that there is no other feeling in the world than accomplishing a huge goal and finishing strong.

Think about it…

When you cross the finish line of a race after weeks (or months!) of training… When you hit SUBMIT on that last paper for a really tough class… When you walk across the stage and receive that diploma that has been years in the making… When after 9 months, that little baby is finally laid in your arms for the first time…

Yep. There’s no other feeling in the world.

And interestingly enough, sometimes a strong finish is a beginning of a new season.

Which is exactly where we are today.

The Knobloch family (as in my Beloved, our baby girl Charis, our pup Justus and I) are preparing to celebrate a strong finish in what has been a very challenging (yet blessed!) season of our life.

The last 24 months have been very intense during our time as a drill sergeant “on the trail.” And now…we have just two (that’s right, count em, TWO!) days left!! THANK. YOU. JESUS.

My sweet husband has been in the army as an infantryman for going on 10 years… Which includes three deployments totaling about 45 months in an Iraqi desert. I asked him where our two-year stint of drill sergeant-ness fell on his scale of challenging seasons of the army. His response? This was by far the most difficult.

Not only were the hours crazy (typically working 12-24 hrs per day, 7 days per week for weeks on end) but we were also learning what it meant to be a family in the military who desired to treat Christ as our Commander-in-Chief.

Now, I’m not saying all these things to say “Oh look how big/bad/awesome/tough we are.” Because honestly, there were a few moments that I wanted to curl up in a closet and just pray for May 2013 to HURRY UP. It was freaking hard. Instead, I share these details with you because through all the frustration, tears, uncertainty… God was there.

God has been with us every step of the way. He has used these last two years to mold us, shape us, grow us in mighty and powerful ways. He has been preparing us for our next season of life, whatever that might look like.

Today, we rejoice in hope of finishing strong– and celebrate God’s faithfulness and goodness!!!

In what seasons of life do you feel closest to God? How do you feel when you finish strong? Are you preparing to “finish” a season of life? I would love to pray for you in that– just let me know by leaving a comment below, sending me a message on Facebook or an email via sharita {dot} knobloch{at}gmail{dot}com.

Also, we would like to say thank you to each of you that has encouraged us and prayed for us in this season. We are so grateful! As we countdown these last two days of this challenging season, our hearts are full of joy, relief, gratitude and anticipation of what this next season of ministry and army life (and family life!) will look like in our new army home in Fort Lewis, Washington.

So today, we praise God for helping us to finish strong– and that His love, presence and faithfulness is ALWAYS a reason to celebrate!

To the Glory of God Alone,
SGK

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ~2 Timothy 4:6-7 NIV

When the going gets tough… The tough get Jesus. (And perhaps create an elementary school-type paper countdown chain, complete with a Bible verse for each day left on the trail as a drill sergeant.)

Hey all! It’s Five Minute Friday… Time to link-up with Lisa-Jo Baker, see what prompt she has for us, and write, unhindered for 5 whole minutes.

Ready?

Today’s Prompt: SONG

And go!

****

The sound of summer raindrops hitting the sidewalk. A mourning dove welcoming the day. A baby kicking in the floor, cooing as she has recently found her voice.

They are singing His Song.

The timer going off in the kitchen when the casserole is done. The playful bark of the family pup running in the yard. The sweet silence of the house at 3am.

Here’s to singing His Song.

The gentle hum of tires on the interstate during a long anticipated road trip. The splash of water as a little one jumps into daddy’s arms in the pool. The squeak of the hotel bed as you flop back on it after a long day of traveling.

Yes, we are singing His Song.

The quiet low of cattle out in the pasture as the sun sets on the horizon. The crickets and frogs firing up as dusk turns to dark. The buzz of June bugs wings as they flit around the front porch.

They are singing His Song.

The moment of silence as I put my feet up and sink lower into a bathtub of warm water. The squeal of laughter that echos through the house as my husband woos me with his antics. The sweet and enthusiastic voice, with arms high and heart abandoned as we sing His praise in church… in our car… in the shower… in our heart.

Yes, my friends. We are singing His Song.

STOP!

****

Where or in what situations do you find yourself singing His Song the loudest? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Until Monday, sweet followers… Sing His Song loud and proud.

Singing for Him,
SGK

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” ~Psalm 28:7

Like this:

Oh bubble wrap. The magical packing material that has been causing squabbles among siblings for decades.

Or was that just my sister and I who fought over who got to pop those addictingly-fun little bubbles? Either way, ya just gotta love the multi-purposeful qualities of bubble wrap.

Via CMMahon @ Flickr

As I was pondering this idea (again, at 3am… sorry, apparently 3am is prime time for random thoughts to enter my mind– blame it on the new-mama sleep deprivation) I, as usual, started thinking about how bubble wrap can relate to our faith.

Random. I know. Sorry. It’s how I roll.

Anywho, I considered the topic at hand… when I was thinking about it, I was struck by the idea of motherhood and how the first few weeks of baby girl’s existence I was (ok, still am) so twitchy and overprotective… And I really thought at one point the possibility of how to “bubble wrap” her from this world to keep her safe.

Then I heard God’s voice: “Beloved daughter… that’s not your job. You are called to love her and care for her– but in this world, you will all have trouble. I am her protector. Trust me.”

Gulp. Ok. Heard you, Father.

Then, my random thoughts took me to the scene from Finding Nemo where Marlin the clownfish (Nemo’s dad) and Dory are in the mouth of the whale. Marlin starts to yell at Dory and the following scene ensues:

Marlin: “I promised I’d never let anything happen to him!!”Dory: “Hmm. That’s a funny thing to promise.”Marlin: “What?”Dory: “Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.”

Dory, although she can’t remember Nemo’s correct name to save her tail, makes a pretty good point. And it holds true not only to “real life” parenthood but also our walk of faith.

Sure, we all wish nothing <specifically: bad or challenging> would ever happen. But if that were true– where would we stand with God? I don’t know about you, but I am typically closest to God when things are the toughest.

Ultimately, Jesus is our bubble wrap. He protects us. He guards us. And He makes sure we get to our final destination (ahem, heaven) in one piece.

But in order to really live a bubble wrap faith life, we have to let go of our need to be the bubble wrap in both our lives and the lives of those around us. We can’t protect those around us from all harm. We can’t control others to make perfect decisions. (Heck, our decisions aren’t perfect either– even if we think we know best.)

We have to let go and let Jesus do the guarding and protecting. We have to trust Him that He knows what He is doing (He does) and loves us beyond all comprehension.

In what areas of your life do you try to be the bubble wrap? How would letting go of that desire to be the bubble wrap free our spirits?

Be encouraged, friends. Letting go and letting Jesus be our bubble wrap isn’t an overnight process. (Believe you me, I am still working on it!) When we transition from control to trust, we can rest assured that He will not only carry us to our final destination– but we will be more protected and secure than ever before.

That’s what I call a special delivery handled with care.

Wrapped up in Christ,
SGK

“He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.” ~Joshua 24:17

As a recap: Each Friday (or whatever Fridays that I briefly have a free hand from baby girl) I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker. She gives us a prompt. We write. No planning, no overthinking, no excessive editing. Then link-up and share our posts with the online community. Good times.

That’s all there is to it. Simple. Yet potentially profound and a great writing exercise.

So before little girl says TIME’S UP before my stopwatch does, let’s get this party started.

Today’s Prompt: JUMP

AND GO!

****

First thing to know, I don’t like heights. Never have, probably never will. Also, when I was younger, I wasn’t much of a risk taker. Play it safe was my theory. I didn’t want to be “that girl” to ever forget anything in class, I always wanted to do everything perfect.

Yeah. Bout that. You can about guess how well THAT went over. I mean, I survived and did well, but soon I found myself bored with playing it safe… I wanted more.

So I jumped into activities. I was from a tiny high school (um, 18 in my graduating class- I’m not kidding) so if you wanted to be involved in something, all you had to do was show up. I was super-NOT-athletic, but I did everything that didn’t involve a sports ball flying at my face. (Although my brief stint of cheerleading did land a few hits to the face.)

I jumped in… Over the next few years, it didn’t stop. I stayed involved. I found my worth in what I did.

And then… Something changed… Life fell apart… My activities no longer fulfilled me… And I was met with my biggest challenge ever… Faith.

Jesus got ahold of me around college graduation– and lemme tell you what, that was one jump I was terrified to make. It was worse than conquering any fear of heights or jumping off the trust fall in a leadership ropes course.

I didn’t want to fail. I had done everything “perfect” (ha!) up to that point. Faith was hard. It took work. I didn’t know what I was “supposed” to do to get it “right.”

Now, several years later, I know that He doesn’t care if we get it “right.” He just wants us to jump. Jump into faith. Jump into His arms knowing He will be there to catch us. Jump with joy for His salvation.

Yes. He wanted me to jump. So I did. It changed my life. Yes, I jumped to Jesus– Have you?

STOP!

****

So what are your thoughts? Have you jumped to Jesus? When? How did it change your life? I would love to hear all about it– don’t be shy… Leave a comment below.

Well, readers, baby girl’s attention span is about to run out– so I must depart. Praying for your hearts this weekend– and I am so incredibly grateful that God continues to grow this ministry even with a new baby in tow. (He really CAN do all things!!)

Guess what? I am really becoming a huge fan of Mondays here at 7 Days Time– not because it’s Monday (hey, I sometimes still have the attitude of Garfield the Cat in that regard) but I just absolutely LOVE the profound, awesome and talented guest bloggers we feature each Monday with our “Everyday Jesus” series. Today is no exception– meet Shannon. She’s super legit, authentic and an inspirational follower of Christ– and with today’s blog, even though it’s April Fools Day, she ain’t fooling around…

Angry didn’t even begin to describe the emotions swirling within me. Confused. Betrayed. Despondent. That was more like it.

I stared at the ceiling and dared myself to get out of bed. I summoned the tiny reserve of hope deep within, reminded myself I was all my two girls have and stumbled into a new life that seemed more daunting than exciting.

A year ago I was white-picket-fence married with two adorable daughters. Today I would start a new job at which I checked the box divorced.

The ink was still fresh on my updated W-4 when his daily visits started. My lonely coworker wore a Rolex, high-end suits and hopelessness. After a month of visitation, I heard the office gossip. He too was going through a divorce.

One ordinary day with his mouth full of stimulating questions like how my pencils were holding up, I felt the nudge of God in my heart to witness to this guy. Faster than you can say unemployment, I silently recounted all the reasons that would be ridiculous.

1) I wasn’t really on speaking terms with God myself since I blamed Him for my misery.
2) I’m fairly certain they fire people for getting too “Jesus-y” at work and I was a single mom. Not exactly risk-taking material.

I still don’t why I let God win that day but I did. I gathered courage from the miniscule well of hope that allowed me to face each day and said, “Look I’m not trying to pry into your personal life but I want you to know I’m going through the same thing you are. And even though these are the hardest, darkest days of my whole I still have hope. If you’re interested in finding hope, I’m interested in telling you where you can get some.”

He jumped on my offer like it was a winning lottery ticket.

What I didn’t know is that he spent long, dark nights in a big home, devoid of furniture and faith. He would sit in his sole recliner, finger his weapons and consider his options. One night he stumbled across the Bible his grandparents had given him as a little boy. He cracked the pristine spine to no place in particular and cried out to God.

God sent help.

God sent me.

Six months after I offered him hope, he accepted Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. Six months later… he offered me a diamond ring.

I was foolish, small and unqualified. I brought nothing to the table but a weak voice strong enough to say “yes” to God. But when we listen to God in small things, He in turn does big things in our lives.

And that’s no April Fool’s Day joke.

****

Shannon is a morning runner, an afternoon carpooler and all-day lover of Jesus.